Fantasy Baseball Stats and MLB Recaps: April 28, 2011 Edition
Another day, another column.
Road team standouts are listed first, followed by the home team.
Dodgers 5, Marlins 4, F/10
1 of 15
W: Matt Guerrier (2-1)
L: Brian Sanches (3-1)
S: Vicente Padilla (1)
Dodgers Standouts
Andre Ethier, 2-for-5, HR, 2 R
Rod Barajas, 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Juan Uribe, 1-for-1, 2B, RBI
Marlins Standouts
Craig Coghlan, 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Brett Hayes, 1-for-3, RBI, R
Greg Dobbs, 2-for-2, 2 BB, R
Recap
Andre Ethier extended his hit-streak to 24 games in grand fashion, hitting a single in the fourth and tacking on the go-ahead home run in the 10th, as the Dodgers took the last of their three-game set with The Marlins.
Florida had tagged Chad Billingsley for four runs in the fourth, but the Dodgers came back with three of their own in the fourth on a Rod Barajas home run and tied the game on a Juan Uribe double. Anibal Sanchez started for the Marlins and allowed three runs off of four hits.
Commentary
The Dodgers certainly have a knack for hitting in crunch time and are currently 3-0 in extra frames. Ethier-Kemp is quickly turning into one of the best 3-4 punches in the league.
Reds 7, Brewers 6, F/10
2 of 15
W: Aroldis Chapman (2-0)
L: Sergio Mitre (0-1)
S: Francisco Cordero (4)
Reds Standouts
Joey Votto, 2-for-4, 2 BB, HR, 4 RBI
Drew Stubbs, 2-for-5, BB, HR, 3 R
Paul Janish, 3-for-4, 2B, RBI
Jay Bruce, 3-for-5, R
Brewers Standouts
Rickie Weeks, 2-for-3, SF, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Jon Lucroy, 2-for-4, BB, RBI, R
Carlos Gomez, 1-for-4, 2 RBI
Yuniesky Betancourt, 2-for-5, 2B, R
Recap
Drew Stubbs homered in the 10th inning to give the Reds their second win in three days over the Brewers. Sam LeCure started for Cincinnati and gave up three earned runs over four-plus innings. Yovani Gallardo got the start for the Brewers and had a rough outing, allowing six runs and 10 hits over five. Joey Votto had another big day with four RBI off of two hits, including a home run.
Commentary
If you look at the standings in the National League Central this year, you should get an idea of what the entire season is probably going to look like. Three to five teams within three to five games of first place. Free-for-alls make for good baseball.
Rockies vs. Cubs Postponed
3 of 15
The Rockies-Cubs game was rained out and will be made up on June 27th at 1:20 pm EST.
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Braves 7, Padres 0
4 of 15
W: Tommy Hanson (3-3)
L: Mat Latos (0-4)
Braves Standouts
Tommy Hanson, 7 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 10 K
Miguel Prado, 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R
Nate McLouth, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R
Jason Heyward, 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
Chipper Jones, 1-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI
Brian McCann, 2-for-3, BB, 2B, R
Padres Standouts
Will Venable, 1-for-3, 2 SB
Recap
Tommy Hanson struck out 10 in seven innings and the Braves rolled to their second straight victory over the Padres. Chipper Jones had three RBI including a two-run triple in the second. Mat Latos went five innings and allowed six runs, but only one earned.
Commentary
Jones took sole possession of second place All-Time for RBI by a switch hitter (Eddie Murray holds the record). Jones is also in the midst of a six-game hitting streak.
Phillies 8, Diamondbacks 4
5 of 15
W: Cole Hamels (3-1)
L: Joe Saunders (0-3)
Phillies Standouts
Shane Victorino, 2-for-5, HR, 2 R
Placido Polanco, 4-for-5, 2B, 3 R
Jimmy Rollins, 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Ryan Howard, 1-for-4, BB, HR
Ben Francisco, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
John Mayberry Jr, 1-for-3, 2 BB
Diamondbacks Standouts
Chris Young, 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Melvin Mora, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
Stephen Drew, 0-for-2, 2 BB, R
Recap
The Phillies took the last of their three-game set against the Diamondbacks with Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins leading the way. Joe Saunders was hit early and often, giving up 10 hits and six runs over five and two-thirds innings. Cole Hamels got the win for Philadelphia, pitching seven innings and allowing three runs—all off of home runs by Chris Young.
Commentary
This game was another unpleasant reminder to the rest of the league that when Philly gets going, they really get going, as there's just not many weak spots in the lineup. Opposing pitchers beware once Chase Utley returns. They're currently just a half-game behind Colorado for MLB's best record.
Athletics 2, Angels 1, F/10
6 of 15
W: Brian Fuentes (1-2)
L: Jordan Walden (0-1)
S: Brad Ziegler (1)
Athletics Standouts
Daric Barton, 1-for-3, BB, 2B, RBI, SF
Cliff Pennington, 1-for-4, 3B, R
Angels Standouts
Bobby Abreu, 1-for-3, BB, 2B, RBI
Recap
A pitcher's duel between Tyler Ross and Dan Haren ended with neither pitcher getting a decision, as Bobby Abreu doubled in the tying run in the ninth to push the game to extras.
Cliff Pennington tripled in the 10th and scored on a Conor Jackson groundout. Ross pitched seven shutout innings for the A's and Dan Haren pitched seven innings as well for the Angels—the only run he allowed was unearned.
Commentary
Because the only run he allowed was unearned, Dan Haren's ERA dropped to 1.23 on the year. He's also sporting a 0.75 WHIP and a .165 BAA. There's probably not a better 1-2 duo than Weaver-Haren right now.
Orioles 5, Red Sox 4
7 of 15
W: Koji Uehara (1-0)
L: Daniel Bard (0-3)
S: Kevin Gregg (4)
Red Sox Standouts
Kevin Youkilis, 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Jacoby Ellsbury, 3-for-5, 2B, R
Orioles Standouts
Derrek Lee, 3-for-4, 2B, 2 R
Luke Scott, 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Adam Jones, 2-for-4, HR, 2B
Recap
Jeremy Guthrie pitched six shutout innings for the O's, but the bullpen nearly gave the game away in the eighth, allowing Boston to post four runs—including a three-run shot by Kevin Youkilis.
Vladimir Guerrero singled home Derrek Lee in the bottom of the frame to put the game out of reach. Kevin Gregg worked the ninth for his fourth save of the season. Josh Beckett started the day for the BoSox and gave up four runs over six innings.
Commentary
Lee finally looks like he's getting out of his sluggish start, going 7-for-18 over his last four games.
Indians 7, Royals 2
8 of 15
W: Josh Tomlin (4-0)
L: Jeff Francis (0-3)
Royals Standouts
Jeff Francoeur, 2-for-4, HR, 2B
Mike Aviles, 1-for-4, HR
Indians Standouts
Shin-Soo Choo, 2-for-2, BB, 2B SB
Shelley Duncan, 2-for-4, 2B, R
Orlando Cabrera, 1-for-3, BB, 2B, 3 RBI
Travis Hafner, 1-for-4, RBI, R
Grady Sizemore, 1-for-5, 2B, R
Recap
Orlando Cabrera hit a three-run double in the first and the Indians never looked back, taking their second straight from the Royals. Josh Tomlin allowed only two runs in six innings to get his fourth win of the season. Jeff Francis faced 21 batters over three innings and gave up five runs. Every Indians starter had a hit in the game.
Commentary
Sizemore has had an extra-base hit in seven of the nine games he's played in this year and is currently working a .811 slugging percentage.
Mariners 10, Tigers 1
9 of 15
W: Erik Bedard (1-4)
L: Justin Verlander (2-3)
Mariners Standouts
Justin Smoak, 2-for-4, BB, HR, 5 RBI
Ichiro Suzuki, 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R
Miguel Olivo, 3-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Chone Figgins, 2-for-4, BB, SB
Milton Bradley, 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R
Tigers Standouts
Ryan Raburn, 1-for-4, 2B, R
Recap
The Mariners continued their hit parade in Detroit, clubbing the Tigers with 10 runs on 11 hits.
Justin Smoak led the way with five RBI and his fourth home run of the season.
Erik Bedard gave up only one run in seven innings, giving him his first win since 2009.
Justin Verlander went six innings and gave up three earned runs in the loss while striking out eight.
Commentary
Not sure why the Tigers are bringing out the best in the Mariners bats, but good for Seattle. Justin Smoak has three home runs in his last three games—all against Detroit.
Yankees 3, White Sox 1
10 of 15
W: Bartolo Colon (2-1)
L: Mark Buehrle (1-3)
S: Mariano Rivera (8)
White Sox Standouts
Carlos Quentin, 3-for-3, 2B, R
Adam Dunn, 2-for-4, RBI
Yankees Standouts
Robinson Cano, 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Bartolo Colon, 8 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Derek Jeter, 1-for-3, BB, R
Recap
The Yankees stopped their two-game slide against the visiting White Sox thanks in large part to a fine outing by Bartolo Colon, who lasted eight innings and gave up only one run.
New York's offense had been stymied the last couple days against Chicago, and Wednesday was no different, as the only runs scored came on a three-run blast by Robinson Cano. Mark Buehrle was otherwise impressive, not allowing any other runs and going seven innings.
Commentary
Aside from Buehrle's hiccup in the first, both pitchers were very strong. The only extra-base hits in the game were Cano's home run and Carlos Quentin's league-leading 13th double in the first.
Mets 6, Nationals 3
11 of 15
W: Pedro Beato (1-0)
L: Sean Burnett (0-1)
S: Francisco Rodriguez (6)
Mets Standouts
Daniel Murphy, 2-for-2, HR, 2B, 3 RBI
Jose Reyes, 1-for-4, BB, 2B, R
Jason Bay, 2-for-4, R
Ike Davis, 2-for-4, R
Nationals Standouts
Jayson Werth, 2-for-4, 2B, R
Wilson Ramos, 1-for-3, RBI, SF
Rick Ankiel, 2B, RBI
Recap
The Mets rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Nationals and win their sixth straight game.
Chin-lung Hu hit a sac fly that brought in Jason Bay, then Ike Davis scored on a Josh Thole groundout. Daniel Murphy followed and doubled in two insurance runs to put the game out of reach.
R.A. Dickey started for the Mets and allowed two earned runs over six and two-thirds. Tom Gorzelanny started for the Nats and pitched just over six and gave up only one run.
Commentary
Tough break for Gorzelanny—his best start so far this season and the bullpen ruins it for him.
Pirates 2, Giants 0
12 of 15
W: James McDonald (1-2)
L: Madison Bumgarner (0-4)
S: Joel Hanrahan (7)
Giants Standouts
Cody Ross, 2-for-3, BB
Pirates Standouts
Neil Walker, 2-for-4, R
Steve Pearce, 2-for-3, 2B
Recap
James McDonald pitched six shutout innings as the Pirates took home a win against the defending world champions.
Madison Bumgarner had an impressive outing himself, allowing just one run through six innings and striking out seven.
Chris Snyder singled in a run in the second and Pittsburgh added another in the seventh. This proved to be enough offense as McDonald and the bullpen held the Giants to just six hits on the day.
Commentary
Given that both starters had an ERA above seven coming into this game, I doubt many people were expecting a pitchers duel. Baseball is weird that way sometimes.
Rangers 7, Blue Jays 6
13 of 15
W: Cody Eppley (1-0)
L: Octavio Dotel (1-1)
S: Darren Oliver (2)
Blue Jays Standouts
Mike McCoy, 2-for-4, BB, RBI, 2 R
Jose Bautista, 1-for-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI
Juan Rivera, 3-for-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI
Corey Patterson, 2-for-3, BB, 2 R
Adam Lind, 2-for-4, RBI
Rangers Standouts
Michael Young, 1-for-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI
Nelson Cruz, 2-for-4, RBI, R
Mitch Moreland, 1-for-3, HR
Recap
Round three of Toronto-Texas ended with the Rangers squeeking out a victory against the Blue Jays.
Jo-Jo Reyes lasted only two and two-thirds innings and allowed six runs (although none earned).
Derek Holland lasted five innings for the Rangers and allowed five runs off of 11 hits.
The Blue Jays rallied from four down to tie the game in the seventh, but a Mitch Moreland home run in the bottom half of the inning put the Rangers ahead for good.
Commentary
The reason why none of the runs Jo-Jo Reyes allowed were earned were because of an "error" by Edwin Encarnacion. I use parentheses because he made a great stop on a hard-hit ball, but Adam Lind couldn't scoop the throw Encarnacion made from third.
The Rangers commentators agreed, calling it a "tough" error, and that they would have ruled it a base-hit because of the difficulty of the play. High class.
Cardinals 6, Astros 5
14 of 15
W: Kyle Lohse (4-1)
L: J.A. Happ (1-4)
S: Eduardo Sanchez (1)
Cardinals Standouts
Matt Holliday, 3-for-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI
Nick Punto, 2-for-5, RBI, R, SB
David Freese, 2-for-4, R
Albert Pujols, 1-for-4, BB, RBI, R
Tyler Greene, 2-for-4, HR
Jon Jay, 2-for-3, BB, R
Astros Standouts
Angel Sanchez, 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
Brett Wallace, 3-for-4, 2B, RBI
Jason Inglett, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R
Jason Bourgeois, 2-for-2, 3B, RBI, 2 R
Recap
Kyle Lohse went seven shutout innings for the Cards as St. Louis escaped with a victory against the Astros.
The Cards scored four runs on four singles in the seventh to get their total to six, and they needed every one of them.
The bullpen made it interesting—allowing five runs in the last two frames—but Brian Sanchez closed the game out, stranding the tying run on second. J.A. Happ went five innings for the 'Stros, giving up two runs.
Commentary
After a rough first start against Pittsburgh to start the season, Lohse has been lights out, allowing only three runs over his last four starts.
Rays 8, Twins 2
15 of 15
W: Wade Davis (3-2)
L: Francisco Liriano (1-4)
Rays Standouts
Sean Rodriguez, 2-for-4, BB, 2B, RBI, R, SB
Sam Fuld, 1-for-2, 3 BB, 2B, 2 R
Johnny Damon, 1-for-4, BB, RBI, R
Ben Zobrist, 1-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI, R
B.J. Upton, 1-for-4, BB, 2B, RBI, R
Twins Standouts
Jason Kubel, 2-for-4, RBI
Luke Hughes, 3-for-4, R
Recap
Snow didn't stop Tampa Bay's hot bats Wednesday night, as the Rays got to Francisco Liriano in a hurry.
The Minnesota left-hander continued to struggle, giving up seven runs in just three innings—including four in the first off of singles by Johnny Damon and Sean Rodriguez and a two-run triple by Ben Zobrist.
Wade Davis went six and two-thirds and gave up only two runs. The Rays have now won 11 of their last 14.
Commentary
Liriano's ERA is 9.13 and has been struggling with control issues all season. For a Minnesota team with injury and offensive problems, questions with the starting rotation is the last thing they need and Liriano certainly isn't helping.
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